CLEVELAND — DigitalC, the local non-profit organization providing low-cost, high-speed internet to Cleveland's 34 neighborhoods, celebrated a milestone on Tuesday with the installation of its equipment at the home of its 5,000th customer.
"That's significant for us because we went from 0 in January of 2024 to where we have 5,000 in June," DigitalC CEO Joshua Edmonds told the 5,000th customer Diah Flantroy of the city's Fairfax neighborhood, as crews worked to install the internet with its fixed rate of $18 a month, locked in for five years and free for families with kids in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
Compare that to the bill Flantroy said she got from her previous provider.
"When I got the first bill it was $156," she said.
Neighbor Vendetta Arrington said she went without internet for a while because of the cost. She was one of the first on the block to sign up with DigitalC.
"I have to pay all of my main bills first, so what's left, I didn't have to get the other kind," she said.
"Broadband is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for work, learning, and healthcare,” said Council President Blaine A. Griffin. “We need to ensure that everyone everywhere has access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. I’m thrilled to see a Ward 6 neighbor now online with affordable internet access.”
DigitalC was part of a $20 million plan rolled out by the Bibb administration in 2023, backed by $10 million from the state, and presented by Gov. Mike DeWine in January 2024. But along with that check came a challenge.
"The goal is to have coverage all across Cleveland within 18 months," DeWine said at the time.
So 17 months later?
"One more tower, one more," said Edmonds. "It's an honor to be able to, to your point, January of 24 stand up there and say we're building this network and that means by the end of this June the network has to be complete and we're down to our final tower so we have two more weeks to get it done and we're excited where we are right now."
Things started slow in those early days, but Edmonds said the number of installs is picking up.
"We've been averaging a little over 400 installs a month. So when you think about that, this isn't just one customer we're getting connected these are families, over 400 families, new families are signing up," he said. "We just did the 4,000th, and so to be able to talk about the 5,000th its great and at some point we're going to be doing the 6,000th."
The void DigitalC fills took on a greater significance when Congress allowed the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provided free or low-cost internet to those in need, to lapse.
"I think that this is a chance for the folks at the federal government to really zoom into what's happening in Cleveland," Edmonds said. "There's not another city you can find in America right now that has the infrastructure that DigitalC is building, and it's our hope that we can influence the way that other people think about Cleveland and other cities in Washington in advancing these digital priorities.
For Cleveland residents who are interested in signing up for service, they can call (216) 777-3859.
